The Foreign Secretary has said the UK is not sending troops into Ukraine, after a news report suggested that Britain and France are discussing the option.
Tensions between Russia and the West have significantly escalated in recent days after US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to use American-supplied long-range missiles to attack targets inside Russia.
Le Monde reported on Monday that France and the UK are “not ruling out” sending troops and private defence companies to Ukraine, citing unnamed sources.
The debate over sending troops to Ukraine was relaunched after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to France for the November 11 commemorations, according to the French newspaper.
But when he was asked about the report in an interview, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK’s longstanding position not to send troops on the ground in Ukraine had not changed.
“We are very clear that we stand ready and continue to support the Ukrainians with training particularly, but there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action,” he told newspapers La Repubblica, Le Monde and Die Welt at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy.
“That is certainly the UK position, and remains the UK position at this time.”
Asked if that included contractors, he said: “We are not committing UK troops on the ground to Ukraine, but we continue to support Ukraine with training and military assistance, and we have been absolutely clear that we will continue to do that for as long as is required and is needed.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there are “no plans” to send troops to Ukraine.
He added: “We’ve previously had a limited number of troops providing medical training.
“And of course, we’ve had a significant training programme here in the UK for Ukrainian troops, and we were providing significant amounts of military aid support for Ukraine, which we’re committed to providing for as long as it takes.
“And UK support is unwavering, and we obviously want to put Ukraine in the best possible position as winter approaches, but we’re not considering putting UK troops in combat alongside Ukrainian troops.”
The spokesman said he was not aware of Sir Keir discussing this when he recently visited Paris and met with President Emmanuel Macron.
Tensions have escalated over Ukraine in recent days.
As President Biden prepares to leave the White House and hand over to Donald Trump, he gave permission for Kyiv to fire the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
Storm Shadow missiles supplied to Ukraine by Britain were reportedly fired into Russia last week, but Number 10 has refused to comment on any changes in policy about allowing Kyiv to use long-range missiles in Russia.
Russia then used a new ballistic missile in Ukraine in response.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was entitled to target the military facilities of countries that had supplied weapons to Kyiv, claiming that the Ukraine war was becoming a “global” conflict.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC Western allies should not put any limits on their support for Ukraine against Russia.
Asked if this could even mean French troops in combat, he said: “We do not discard any option.”
